The Last Semester
by acquiescently
Summary: She carried herself in a way most women did not know how to. And this drew him closer to her, and he felt an aching to reveal her identity for himself. What seemed to be just another pretty face among the crowd proved to be wrong, and he was damn pleased to have picked her.
1. Chapter 1

On a gray rainy day, Aria Montgomery remained inside the bookstore, waiting for the heavy rain to stop. She did not mind staying in of course, finding the company of books and faint chatters of fellow shoppers rather comfortable. It was even peaceful enough for her to forget about the rain outside after a few minutes of aimlessly walking around. She skimmed through stacks of books, letting her fingertips brush over the smooth, familiar texture of each individual cover, opening to random pages from time to time without a clear objective. This practice of tranquility was soon cut short when a clerk approached her and handed her a wrapped book; a paperback in frail beige wrapping paper and tied with a neat, thin rope.

"From the gentleman over there. He said to give it to you." The clerk said, signaling to the man standing over the literature section. He wore a plain white button down shirt with a navy blue tie.

Aria took the book and studied it for a moment. Then she looked up at the man responsible for the present, and in return he smiled warmly for her. With a puzzled yet intrigued look on her face, she untied the rope and tore gently at the paper wrapping, revealing the title of the chosen book. She frowned at the reveal. When she lifted her head to check on the man, she saw that he was now approaching her.

"I've read this before." Aria said without hesitation as soon as he reached her.

"When did books become limited to only one reading?" The man said, smiling his charming smile.

"Well, it was a grand, unheard gesture–buying strangers books rather than a drink, I'll give you that…" She smirked. "But it would be a waste for me to keep it." She extended the book in front of her and waited for him to take it.

He kept his smile on and ignored the book. "Huh. When people receive gifts...they usually smile politely, say thank you and move on."

"Alright." She said with a straight face, and then tucked the book to her side.

"Perhaps if you let me recite some to you...would you consider it different then?" He asked, staring at her while she looked across the room, checking the window. The rain poured on but it was not as bad as before. The streets glimmered, enhancing the filth of the city.

Aria gave the man a look before walking away. Shortly after, she paused and glanced back and saw the man in the same spot so she tilted her head and said, "Well, are you coming or not?"

They stepped out into the street as the rain continued to fall in its own rhythm. Aria, using the wrapped book as a makeshift umbrella, walked beside the man, and by the time they reached the end of the block, she had her arm hooked with his.

"I'm Ezra, by the way. If you were interested in knowing." Ezra said, finally. He looked down at her as they stood on the curb, gradually getting soaked the longer they waited to cross the street.

"Tell me, Ezra, do you live nearby?" She had asked as they continued to walk down the street.

"Yes, I do actually. A few streets...in the opposite direction."

"Oh, good." Aria pivoted suddenly, causing him fumble over his feet for a second.

After a considerable walk, Ezra led the way to his apartment building where they took shelter and a short break. Aria shook her cardigan, flicking some water here and there. Then she checked the book in her hand and was saddened at the sight of the wrapping paper slowly falling apart. Meanwhile Ezra ran his hands over his hair and shook his head like a wet dog, and chuckled to himself.

"I'm on the third floor." He watched as Aria removed her cardigan, leaving herself in a white tee. "And the elevator isn't working. They've been meaning to fix it." He heard her let out a dry laugh as if to mock the situation.

As they climbed the steps, Ezra stayed behind and continued to ask her a series of simple questions–most of which were related to her coming with him without protest. He thought about it as they continued their journey to his apartment. The discussion of whether or not she was an easy lay was out of the question. She was the kind of beauty that made men feel weak; and Ezra would even go as far as to assume that she had different flings for different seasons; she could if she pleased anyway. He concluded, because she was so simply alluring, that she_ could_ be an easy lay but an air about her convinced him that she knew better and instead chose to work her beauty and turn it into a form of power-play. She was nearly a foot smaller than him but she carried herself in a way most women did not know how to. And this drew him closer to her, and he felt an aching to reveal her identity for himself. What seemed to be just another pretty face among the crowd proved to be wrong, and he was damn pleased to have picked her.

And as for his questions, Aria claimed to have always been a good judge of character and that was simply it. He wondered if he should feel good about himself after realizing that she had admitted into putting her trust in a complete stranger.

At last they reached the doorstep of his home and the two entered quietly like thieves in the night. Aria went straight for the couch and sat down, placing the wet book on her lap. Eyeing Ezra, she saw him standing a couple of feet away and studying her like a foreign flower.

Then he walked over to her and took the book and unwrapped it, throwing the wet paper on the floor. He sat beside her and bent down, reaching for her feet. He glanced at her for a moment and smiled then went back to her feet and took her shoes off.

Aria drew out a long, easy breath and shifted position–her back now against the end of the couch, her legs comfortably resting over his lap.

"So, you've read this before you said?" He asked then saw her give a nod. Then he cocked an eyebrow at her and asked, "For the hell of it?"

"Intro to poetry, first year college." answered Aria.

"Ah." He nodded. "That makes a lot more sense."

"Go on. Read." said Aria and in response, Ezra gave the book another glancing over before opening it to a marked page.

He leaned back and ran his hand lightly on her leg, finding the dampness of her skin nice and provoking. But he restrained himself and took a great drive for him to start reading the passage that reminded him of her–in fact, it was what motivated him to buy the book for her in the first place.

"_Ladies and gentlemen this little girl…_" He began. "_With the good teeth and small important breasts._" He stole a side glance, and saw that she was looking at him deeply with the same serious disposition. He read the next few lines and felt her shift in her position. She was sitting up now, her knees bent over his lap and elbows resting on top. Ezra breathed in, catching her womanly scent for a passing moment. Somehow finding the strength to let it go, he went on reading, "_...Crisp ogling shoulders and the ripe quite too._" Then he held his breath for a second once he sensed her moving closer. "_Large lips always clenched faintly–_" Ezra paused to lick his lips. Feeling her small hand travel around the nape of his neck, he shut his eyes and said softly, "_...Wishes you with all her fragile might to not surmise._" Then lightly he felt her lips brushing over his jaw and he continued to recite the lines from the top of his head. "_She dreamed one afternoon…_" He kept his eyes shut as the book fell on the side. "_...Or maybe read?_" He sighed and opened his eyes and met her face to face, her eyes burning through.

Ezra grabbed the back of her head with one hand, his fingers lost in the sea of her dark, damp hair, and kissed her passionately, impatiently. His breath fell short when she leaned closer, pressing herself against him, her fingers pressing down on the spot inches from his neck. She moved over and sat on top of him, bearing all of her weight on him.

Blindly but confidently, his hands began to roam under her shirt and felt the heated soft skin hidden behind the damp cotton tee. Aria lifted her arms as Ezra obliged and smoothly pulled her shirt over her head, and instantly buried his face in her bosom, resting there for a moment. He could hear and feel her chest heaving as he held her small frame gently. And for a moment he thought she sounded like the rain. There she lingered with the soft pattering of unyielding, quiet fury between her chest. Pulling his head back he looked up at her, mesmerized by the face that looked off into the distance, lost in her own pleasure.

Aria parted and stood up before him, and Ezra swiftly sat up, moved forward and held her waist and planted soft kisses on her navel and around, rewarding himself with every inch of her. Smiling, Aria ran her fingers through his hair and looked down as he began to unbutton her jeans, his lips still brushing over her quivering stomach.

Sliding her jeans down to her ankles, he looked up at her and asked casually, "You haven't told me who you are." He smiled while she raised her leg one at a time, her hands on his shoulders for support, then finally she escaped out of her pants and proceeded to kick them away from her.

Then Ezra held her forearms, pulling her in again and began to kiss her flat stomach once more before backing away to look at her. "Who are you?" He asked yet again.

Gazing at him, Aria moved her fingers up to his chin and mouth and pressed a thumb over his lips and shushed him. Ezra swallowed hard and pulled her down with him and her legs went around his hips and he lifted her, his arm wrapped around her back. Aria held onto him, hiding her face in his neck as they trailed off to the bedroom.

Aria sat on the edge of the bed and pulled him by the navy necktie. Impatiently, Ezra loosened the knot on his tie, took it off and continued to undress himself. As he shook out of his trousers, Aria reached down on the floor and retrieved the tie, curling it around her hand. She climbed out of bed and tiptoed up to him, kissing him and leading him on the bed.

Letting out a soft chuckle, he fell back on the soft mattress and watched her tower over him. He moved up closer to the head of the bed while keeping his gaze on her, his eyes unblinking while she took her remaining clothes off. Then she crawled to him as Ezra advanced and began to kiss her eagerly.

The world around them seemed to spin madly on. Beads of sweat rolled down his brow and for a moment, his vision became a faint blur. So, he shut his eyes and only felt her rolling endlessly and gracefully on top of him and the crisp sound of the moving sheets provided a soft background to her much softer, intimate noises.

The pressure of her weight shifted as she leaned forward, her breasts pressed against his chest, and the smooth texture of the necktie went around his neck. Ezra's eyes fluttered open and looked on with curiosity at the unsmiling woman above him who gripped his necktie with both hands.

"What are you doing?" He asked nervously and held her waist.

"Shh..." She pulled the tie and bit on her lower lip.

Ezra dug his fingers into the flesh of her waist and groaned softly and furrowed his brow at her, as she continued to slowly twist the tie causing his throat to close in. Gasping for breath, Ezra arched his back as she yanked on the tie as hard as she could while her petite body rocked against his.

His hands flew up to grab the tie while his jaw remained locked and his face became red with his eyes shut tightly. Aria let out a sharp breath as she continued to ride him. Then she gave another hard pull and she felt his panicked hands around her wrists, and her body jerked forward accompanied by a cry which had escaped her small mouth.

His hands went back to her waist, and the tie around his neck loosened and he could hear her breathing slowing down next to his face. Ezra opened his eyes, mouth gaping and his focus staring off into the distance. He embraced her fully as they breathed in unison. Somewhere in time and in between the gap of breaths they took alternately, he found himself caught in what seemed to be a strange, unfamiliar ecstasy–one that he did not know he could reach nor did he know was possible. She had taken him to a new disorienting and terrifying place, and all he could think about was the struggle for breath and the sharp pleasure it caused him all at once. At last, his mouth took on a small form of a smile, then came a blink.

The rain had stopped once the night set. Aria was watching passing cars below while Ezra remained in his bed, staring at her back. When she felt a cold breeze embracing her naked body, she went back to bed. Curling a leg under, she remained seated on the edge of the bed and simply looked at Ezra. He reached for her, grabbing her by the arm and pulled her in for a rough kiss.

Aria cut off the kiss before he could enjoy it and instead she pushed him back down on the bed with her palm. She paused and looked at his neck and reached out to touch it. Ezra fixed his eyes on her face, trying to decipher her thoughts. But Aria moved away and proceeded to grab her clothes.

"Leaving so soon?" He said with an alarmed tone in his voice.

Looking over her shoulder, she raised her eyebrows and that was her last gesture for him.

It wasn't until several days later that they saw each other again although unplanned and under very surprising and funny circumstances. Ezra watched her walk out of his class just as the hand on the clock wall hit four-thirty, indicating the end of his last class of the day.

"It took a lot of resistance and patience trying to ignore you in there." Ezra said as he caught up to her. They stepped aside. "I'm glad to see you again." He smiled, forgoing the obvious topic of her being a student in a class he was teaching.

Aria nodded and said, "Aren't you too novice to be handling graduate classes?"

"It's the first day and I've already got you judging the way I hand out my syllabus." He scoffed. "Do you have a problem with my way of teaching class?" He said and they began to walk down the hallway. "We're still on the same playing field here, Aria."

"Did I say otherwise?" She looked at him with wrinkled brow, and he widened his eyes at her snappy reaction.

"No, you didn't. You're right. I'm sorry, that was unnecessary." He said bashfully. "So, graduate class huh?"

"And the last semester."

"Is that right?" He smiled proudly. "So, your only class before you get your post-graduate degree…"

"Master's."

He nodded. "And it just so happens to be the one I'm handling?"

"Not exactly." said Aria as they stepped out into an empty student center where black metal benches surrounded the courtyard and a clear path which led to the faculty parking lot. She stopped in her tracks and looked at him. "I have four other classes, not just yours."

"I see." said Ezra and they stood there quietly for a short moment. He glanced at his surrounding and moved closer to her. "I'd really like it if we can catch up later." He looked at her with the subtle pleading from a pair of blue eyes.

"Okay." Aria said softly.

Within the first couple of weeks of classes, they had fallen into a venturesome routine which flirted with the professionalism of their work, specifically of his work and her reputation. By the time he was finished with his office hours for his other lower level classes, he went straight to his apartment where he would meet her on the dot––although there were times where she would come by past their proposed time. But he did not care for details and punctuality, he only cared for what came after once the door closed behind them.

Ezra kicked off his shoes and grabbed Aria's face, kissing her hard. And on her part, she worked on the buttons of his trousers and had gotten familiar with how everything worked. She moved easily around his apartment now, as if she had eyes on the back of her head helping her avoid the furniture that was out of view.

"How were your classes?" He managed to say in between kisses. He rested on his back and fixed his eyes on her as she settled on top of him. Strands of hair fell in front of her face and he reached up to sweep them aside, needing to see her face, wanting to savor the look she always made when they finally came in together.

Aria shook her head and said, "Don't talk." She shot him a look when she heard him start to laugh.

He nodded and shut his eyes once he felt her hands travel up his neck and her fingers gently wrapping around it, causing his heart to beat with terror and excitement, bracing itself for what was about to happen next.

The pattern remained the same for the next few days; she didn't stay long in the apartment after having done her part although he held onto the hope that she would stay one night. He never bothered to ask, believing that she was discerning enough to see that he enjoyed her company to the point where he knew he wouldn't mind waking up to her face the next day. A girl like her wouldn't need an invitation. However there came a time, a desperate one that was in need of a very good distraction in the shape of her. But much to his dismay, Aria responded with the shake of her head and told him that she had a workload to finish, one of which was a ten page essay that was assigned by the same man she had just slept with.

"Come on, just once." He stood behind her and ran his hands up and down her bare shoulders. "And if you hate it then this will be the first and last time I ask." He looked at the mirror in front of them and he began to kiss her exposed neck.

Aria turned around and gently began to push him back, and he put on a confused smile as he carefully walked backwards until he felt the end of his bed against his legs.

"Here's what's gonna happen–" Aria said solidly as Ezra rested on his elbows and listened. "I'll stay here tonight and we can do whatever you want…" His hands went around her waist and his smile grew wider. She narrowed her eyes on him and said, "And I'm gonna come to school the next morning and you're gonna have that paper written for me."

Ezra chuckled dryly as he studied her face, realizing that she was serious. For a moment he furrowed his brow at her request while she simply stared at him with her arms folded across her chest. Then he took a deep breath and nodded.

"Alright, fair enough." He pulled her in and they fell back as they sealed the start of a dangerous arrangement with a tender kiss.

The next day, Aria stepped into his office around nine in the morning and saw Ezra sitting across the room, looking frustrated and occupied with the computer. Locking the door behind her, she cleared her throat and he looked up and raised his eyebrows before glancing at the clock.

"Don't worry, it's not class yet. I just came in to get my paper." said Aria.

He furrowed his brow and got up from his chair, walked around the table and leaned against it. "Right…" He slowly said then looked at her straight in the eyes. "Aria, I'm not gonna write your paper for you." As soon as he declared this new fact, she let out a dry laugh. To recover himself he quickly added, "But you don't have to turn it in today. I'm willing to give you another day. To be fair."

"To be fair." She repeated after him then she glanced down and smiled to herself. Ezra clenched his jaw as she took a step closer to him, her hand touching his chest.

"Aria–" He said, grabbing her hand. "I can't do your work for you. I'm sorry. It wouldn't be...right."

She lifted her eyes at him and said, "Don't worry, Professor Fitz." She smiled deviously and touched the back of his neck, and inched her face closer to his, and whispered, "You can forget all about it."

Ezra held her lower back and looked down at her lips, and moved closer to her. He shut his eyes but was surprised to feel nothing on his lips as he continued to move forward. He opened his eyes and looked at Aria who had pulled her head back, and was looking at him indifferently.

"I'm sorry." Aria said as she licked her lips. "It wouldn't be right." She grabbed his hands and pried herself from his hold, and turned away to leave.

Students filled the hallways–half of the crowd were leaving the building to head home and others were dreadfully heading to their three o'clock classes. By the time she arrived to her last class, Ezra was walking around the room, handing back their graded essays. She sat in her usual seat which was situated at the very back of the room. It took only a few seconds for Ezra to reach the back row and he glanced at her then placed the papers on her table.

"Well done." He said to her casually and walked back to his desk.

Aria checked the pile, and smiled faintly at the freshly written ten-page essay that hid on the bottom of the graded paper. Lifting her head, she caught him looking at her from his chair.

"Alright, pass up your essays. Ten page, people. This better be worth reading." Ezra announced. Students approached his desk, handing their papers in one pile. He watched them quietly and wondered why everyone but her came up. A few seconds went by and he exhaled sharply when he saw her coming.

"Here you go." Aria said with a smile. "I had a question...I didn't want to take up some time asking it out loud in class so I wrote it on there." She gestured at the paper.

Ezra took her essay and flipped through the last page and saw the post-it note: _How does tonight sound?_

"Hmm..." He looked up at her and said, "Yes, that sounds fine."

When he got to the lobby, he saw her sitting on one of the couches near the window. He whistled a small tune, catching her attention.

"How'd you get in?" asked Ezra.

"A kind man let me in." Aria shrugged.

"I'm gonna go ahead and take a jab and say he didn't do it to be kind." Ezra chuckled and shook his head at her. "How does it feel to have a face that can get anyone to do anything?"

"I don't know what you mean." Aria remained seated, compelling him to go to her. "Anyway, a ten page completed within a very limited time? I'm impressed." She followed him with her eyes as he sat down next to her.

"You're not the only one with an English degree, kitten." He gave her lips a peck. "C'mon, let's go up. I'm starving."

"They fixed the elevator." Aria pointed out and noticed how his face lit up at the news. They made their way to the elevator and stepped in. Aria moved close to him, pressing her back against his. And he leaned down and buried his nose in her hair, taking a good whiff of the fruity scent she always seemed to have. She leaned closer and rested her head back on his shoulder. Ezra glanced at her and bent down to kiss her mouth.

Finally reaching their floor, they stepped out and ambled down the hallway and when they were close enough to see his doorstep, Ezra noticed a pair of women's heels on his mat.

"Got a visitor?" said Aria, noticing the same.

"I guess so." He said, suppressing his irritation.

Aria looked at him questioningly and said, "Perhaps I should go."

"It's nobody, Aria."

"That's not the point."

"Please, just wait and stay."

"Some other night."

He sighed but ultimately nodded in defeat. "Come here–" He reached out, grabbing her lower back and pulled her in. And they stood in the empty hallway, kissing intensely as if this was their last day on earth. He broke their kiss and tilted his head to look at her, seeing the serious expression she always made. "You should smile more, you know."

"Why?" She asked plainly.

"So you'll convince us all."

"Convince to what?" She furrowed her brow.

"Convince us all to believe that you're just a sheep and not a wolf in sheep's clothing."

She tiptoed up and gave him a light, tender kiss. Gazing at him, she smiled and said against his mouth, "Wolves smile too."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note:<strong>

**I've been having some bad writer's block for For His Sake and A Time To Keep so I thought I'd write something else to keep my mind off it. So here it is. At first I wanted it to be one-shot, but I think that won't fit so I'll probably do five parts or four. Anyway, it'll be short. And I wanted to write something a little more serious and darker. Tell me what you guys think!**


	2. Chapter 2

Aria peered at him curiously as he continued to read a passage from a book of their random choosing. They remained in bed, their naked bodies covered in sheets. Her eyes remained on him, observing his soft lips saying the words by the great George Bernard Shaw. She listened well to Ezra's calming voice, as he went on to the next passage:

_"When two people are under the influence of the most violent, most insane, most delusive, and most transient of passions, they are required to swear that they will remain in that excited, abnormal, and exhausting condition continuously until death do them part."_

Taking a long, recovering breath Ezra looked at her and smiled. And before he could continue on, she had grabbed the book from his hand and tossed it aside and began to kiss him effortlessly and traveled down to his firm stomach.

Ezra leaned his head back against the headboard and shut his eyes, and felt her lips moving back up again until her kisses were on his throat then suddenly, there was nothing. Opening his eyes, he looked at her questioningly.

"I need to go." said Aria casually as she moved onto the edge of the bed.

Furrowing his brow, he reached for her forearm and asked, "Need or want?"

"There's a difference?" She turned her head and raised an eyebrow at him.

"_Huge_."

"I wouldn't go if I didn't want to...regardless of the degree of the need."

Ezra scoffed and shook his head at her response, and so he pulled her close to him, leaving a small space between them. "Are you often this cruel to men?" He asked, the corners of his mouth curled slyly.

Aria leaned in and kissed him hard once more before getting up and dressing herself.

On a Monday morning Ezra spotted Aria walking down the hallway, and as her eyes found his, he signaled to her, indicating her to come to his office.

"Close the door please." He said as they stepped inside the small office. It had a wooden desk which was big enough for an old desktop which he never planned on using except for when he did not feel like setting up his own laptop. Then there were two chairs, one for him and the other for the guest which was situated across the desk, purposely skewed. Ezra always thought that he could be more flamboyant with the office; he was given an opportunity to do more by the university. Even adjunct professors had taken to designing their small cubicles. And Ezra was to a certain level, much more superior than those professors. Perhaps adding a mini fridge would do well for his convenience or a more comfortable seat like a medium sofa that would allow him to lie down if ever he needed to think, but it sounded strange the more he thought about it, not wanting his office to be like those of a therapy room. And so, Ezra kept it simple and stuck to the default design of the office and only put in an ounce of effort of making it more personal by placing a framed picture on his desk. It was a picture of his family–the most cliche cliches of all offices. Aria had seen it a few times but never bothered to go deeply into it more by asking their names and what they did for a living, or how close they were to Ezra. The family consisting of a brunette young woman, the mother and the father, and one charming Ezra Fitz appeared to be painfully normal as any other family. Thus the topic of it had already bored Aria and avoided it at all costs.

"Here you go." Ezra said as he walked to her with an essay packet, looking to be at least five or seven pages long.

Aria raised her eyebrows at him and the paper but graciously took it and said, "I had almost forgotten about this."

"Well then you owe me double." He smirked and hoped she would too.

"Don't I always pay my debts?" She said rather seriously.

He chuckled softly and took a step forward and bent down. "Such a Lannister." He said as she furrowed her brow in response. Disregarding his reference, he went on and cupped the back of her head, letting his fingers move smoothly through the curtains of her soft dark hair reminding him of water.

Ezra kissed her tenderly and kept his lips lingering upon hers. Slowly, he moved in a way that his lips would only now just brush over her own, giving it a teasing sensation before finally pulling away completely. Tilting his head, Ezra looked deeply into her eyes in an attempt to read her thoughts. It was a leap of faith to kiss her in such manner and he was not even certain himself how she would react. They had never truly shared a kiss that had meant something besides pure desire. There was passion and lust, even they themselves could not deny that, but there was also an unspoken truth that hung over their heads and neither had addressed it until now. Months had passed and the semester was coming to an end, and what they shared was quickly and regrettably evolving into a semblance of one might call a tragedy, in which the man would soon fall in love with the younger woman.

There were three stages of their affair. Within the first month, Aria had been in absolute control and Ezra complied to all her wishes, only caring to satisfy her appetite. And in those first few weeks he did not seem to mind, for she was painstakingly enticing that one would be out of his mind to complain.

He sat themselves up, his arms wrapped around her small frame and his legs sprawled onto the bed. Looking up, Ezra swept aside the strands of her that had covered her lovely face then he pulled her in and kissed her hard, trapping her soft moans.

Aria pulled away and looked at him before coming in for another kiss. But it had been different this time; she grew more aggressive and forceful. And suddenly she bit down on his lower lip hard and he gripped her arms and pulled her away from him. Ezra furrowed his brow at her and winced as the pain on his lip began to throb. She stared at him blankly before slowly approaching him once again, letting her fingertip brush over his lip, wiping away a spot of blood. Aria leaned in closer and kissed him lightly, her tongue grazing over the lower lip for a slip of a moment while he embraced her tightly and brought themselves back down on the bed.

As the days went on, he had come to notice her beginning to grow bored and cold from their routine. Needless to say, through the obvious lack of enthusiasm in their usual rendezvous, Aria's punctuality suffered and Ezra found himself waiting for hours for her to turn up in his apartment. And so, as if the world had known that their unique arrangement had to be preserved, Ezra was surprised by a visitor who would soon occupy his living room the very same night. On account of such sudden news, Ezra saw the opportunity and took it without hesitance. Thus, the start of the second stage in which Ezra had taken control.

"My place? Why the sudden change of venue?" Aria lowered her eyebrows at his odd request.

Ezra nonchalantly wrote on his notebook, keeping his eyes on the paper and said, "My step-sister decided to drop in on me and is now sleeping on my couch." He looked up at her. "I don't intend to have her around while we–"

"Alright." She said, cutting him off. "Seven o'clock then."

"Great." said Ezra, smiling at the thought that he was in charge, or at least partially.

"And the paper?" She reminded him.

Ezra looked at her for a moment and sighed before opening a drawer and taking out his part of the deal. He often wondered when he would develop a moral conscience. But every time he saw her, morality seemed weak and unnecessary and merely became an obstacle that would keep him from getting what he wanted, which was ultimately her.

"What happens when this semester ends?" He asked curiously. "When you're through with my class?"

As always, she kept her face straight and took the papers in his hand before looking at him directly and saying, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's worry about the fact that these papers have been in the B range of the grading system. I'm starting to wonder if I should just start writing them myself."

Ezra chuckled. "I'm sorry, I know...it could be better. It's just that I've been distracted."

"By what?"

Ezra smirked and said casually, "You." When he saw that she was not entertained by the response, he quickly changed the subject and asked, "So, tomorrow at seven, right?"

"Sure." She nodded and saw him step closer until he was inches from her mouth, and he had leaned down and kissed her hard, stunning her.

It was only after some hours that Ezra learned about the change of plans. Answering the ringing phone, Ezra pressed it against his ear as he entered his apartment. He spotted his step-sister's shoes by the closet door, hinting at her presence somewhere in the apartment.

"Hey, what's going on?" Ezra said on the phone, sounding worried. It was rare of Aria to call. They had kept it simple, as if they were from the old days where one would say where to meet and what time and that was that.

"Can you come over?" Aria asked.

"Now?"

"Mhm."

"What's the matter?"

"I wanna play." said Aria.

As he walked into the living room Ezra laughed softly and furrowed his brow and asked, "What happened to tomorrow's agreement?" He listened for a moment before recoiling. "Alright. I'll be there in fifteen."

"Leaving already? You just got here." A voice resonated in the same room upon hanging up the call.

Ezra looked up and saw Spencer then he gave her a smile. He swore her age was catching up to him. He had always remembered her to be somber and serious but appropriately cheery when circumstances called for it. She was a few years younger but now seemed to look older after her recent break-up with her college boyfriend. But Ezra thought his step-sister always acted older than necessary and that had played a big part on their easy relationship.

"Sorry. Emergency. Did you have dinner yet?" He asked as he headed down the hallway and down to his bedroom. He heard her footsteps behind him.

"Well, I was waiting for you. I thought you and I could eat out." Spencer said, leaning her head against the door jamb.

Ezra rummaged through his drawer, grabbed a folded tee shirt and sniffed it for a moment before changing it to the one he was currently wearing.

"I'm very sorry, Spence. I gotta go head out soon actually. I have a meeting."

"You're going back to the campus?" She folded her arms across her chest.

Ezra looked up at her quietly for a moment before opening another drawer, taking out a clean set of pants and undressing himself. Spencer scanned his legs before looking away.

"Something like that." replied Ezra. Then he opened the top drawer, dug deep and took a small packet and quickly slipped it into his pocket. Looking up, he caught the look on her face and knew she had him figured out. Ezra walked to her and lowered his brow and asked, "What do you want for dinner? I'll bring something on my way back."

"It's fine. I'll just have Chinese take-out." She shrugged her shoulders. "Have fun tonight."

He tilted his head at her and sighed in defeat, "Tomorrow, alright? We'll do dinner, anywhere you want. I promise."

Spencer smiled and nodded along then inhaled deeply. "Well, I gotta go look up some numbers for a Chinese place."

"On the fridge door, there's a Noodle House pamphlet. They do a mean Kung Pao chicken." He smiled and felt at ease when she returned him a grin. Ezra walked to her and kissed her forehead goodbye.

"You'd think they would specialize in noodles, not Kung Pao...given their name." She joked and heard him let out a short, dry chuckle. Spencer leaned against the wall now as Ezra walked by her and her eyes followed him until he was out of sight and the only sound left was the door closing, a sad echo that had traveled back to her.

Aria opened the door and tilted her head at him and said casually, "You're very late." She looked at Ezra for a while, furrowing her brow at his refusal to come inside. "What?"

"You're all alone?" He asked, placing his palm against the door jamb and keeping his feet on the boundary of the door.

"My roommate just left to study at the library."

Ezra cocked an eyebrow, intrigued. "He?"

"Right, I suppose we should just get it out of the way before your head gets silly thoughts. Yes, he and I have slept together once–" She looked at him seriously and Ezra let out a half-forced chuckle. "And it turns out he's very, very gay...and we were very, very drunk."

"Aria, you don't owe me any explanation." He gestured with his hand, shrugging the subject off.

"You're right I don't, but it's a fun one to tell." She smiled, surprising him for a second. They exchanged looks and remained in silence until she opened the door wider, inviting him but Ezra remained still and stared at her. She rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Alright, I'm over this." She reached for the doorknob and began to close the door on him but he had stopped it just in time with his right hand.

"Have I mentioned you look so much nicer when you smile?" He asked.

Aria sighed and glared at him, but after a beat she flashed a soft smile. It had happened unexpectedly, which sprang Ezra's lips into a wide grin and there was a jumble of emotions in him as he lunged in to kiss her and her hands came flying around the back of his head in return. Her young lips began to feel so terribly familiar against his own, almost becoming painful each time she parted from him to take a breath.

She leaned her head back and allowed him to devour her neck as she kicked the door shut. All the while, with his eyes closed and feet cautiously stepping forward, Ezra held her waist with one hand and the other grabbed the side of her face, and his lips lingered on her warm neck and all at once he could feel his heart turning over with excitement and infuriation for how the time seemed to move slowly.

By the time they reached her room which had been swiftly followed with the moment they fell onto the soft bed, Ezra set her on all fours and leaned forward, burying his face deep in the small nook between her neck and shoulder, and shut his eyes and heard her let out a soft cry, causing him to bite down on her neck. When the second cry escaped her mouth Ezra couldn't bear the slightest thought of treating her roughly although it was clear that Aria did not ask for him to stop and, in fact they both knew stopping was the opposite of what they desired, at the very least what she desired. But he was not, by nature, a harsh man, and so, he slowed down and wrapped his arm around her waist and gave a trail of kisses on her shoulder as she moved her head back, pressing the side of her face against his stubbled jaw comfortably. He dug his fingers through her hair and pulled her in for the occasional kiss as he continued to thrust softly into her.

The way she whispered his name settled in his head, acting as a delicious reminder of how much he had wanted to please her just to hear her say, _'Ezra'_.

He held her tightly, enclosing her naked body with his strong arms and pressing his chest against her back, refusing to let any unseen space escape between them as if his life depended on it.

After quite a while they rested on their backs in complete silence–a kind of stillness that had felt wonderfully vulnerable and honest. It was in the darkness that Ezra would surprise himself with the possible confession of loving her, only he did not know what he would do with such realization. All he knew was that he loved her and nothing else.

Turning to his side to face her Ezra saw her chest falling softly and her eyes were shut lightly. He wondered if she had been asleep this whole time. Ezra moved slowly, pulling himself up to get close to her face then he pressed his lips against her slightly parted mouth, waking her up just then.

"Go home." Aria had whispered once he pulled back.

Ezra scowled and maneuvered his hand so that it was resting above her head. "You can't possibly be serious."

"You have to."

"Why?"

Aria opened her eyes and looked at him, "Because my roommate's coming home soon."

"So? Why the hell is it his business if I stay?" He said then felt her hand against his chest.

"Go home, Ezra." She repeated solidly.

Ezra swallowed hard and stared at her before giving in. Exhaling sharply, he climbed out of bed, collected his clothes and dressed. Then, once he was all set, he turned to look at her and said, "You wouldn't know what to do with someone who loves you, would you?"

"Don't tell me that someone is you." She replied, and he looked at her–a pause between them.

"People fall in love all the time. It's not something all of us can help, alright?" Ezra said as he sat on the edge of the bed facing her, and Aria sat up and stared blankly at the bed sheet that hid her feet. Ezra's soft glance fell upon her as he continued, "Look, I know I'll love other women. But right now, I love you...and I have a feeling I will for a very long time."

Aria kept quiet until finally Ezra turned away, not knowing that her eyes were on him, following his trail that would lead him out of the room, leaving her heart beating unevenly.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note:<strong>

**To the guest's question:**  
><strong>No, I won't be continuing that story because I just wasn't feeling it. Maybe I'll change my mind though, but right now I'll be continuing my other stories.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

Ezra sat on his chair as students filled the classroom; one by one, they beelined for their usual seats. The cacophony produced by the energetic graduate students soon took away the professor's concentration. He had been contemplating about her in the precious silence. But as the noise took over the room, Ezra looked up and found it a little curious that the more it got chaotic, the less he could focus on his thought. He felt as though one should have the privilege to concentrate harder as the environment intensified, as a way to drown out the meaningless things that were not related to the thinker. And as Ezra grew irritated by the disruption, a plausible explanation to his curiosity had hatched in his head. He wondered if life had purposely constructed a person to act in that way––for him to lose his train of thought at the expense of someone else. That life, for some unknown greater and noble reason, had inherently created us to care for one another.

Ten minutes into the class, the students along with the chatter calmed down as Ezra stood in front of the room, smoothing out his necktie with his palm, and looked over to an empty seat that had belonged to Aria before finally facing the board and writing the topic they had left off from the day before.

Once he was free from classes and office hours Ezra checked his phone as he walked back to the parking lot. He looked over at his messages and saw only one which was from his step-sister who had asked him plainly about tonight's plan. They had been spending time together––not that it was impossible to schedule their free time. Ezra was not one to juggle errands. He was neat and simple and spent most of his days writing or reading, meeting with colleagues as to satisfy a small need for socializing; Spencer however was like a pet who moped around her master's home, and ever since she claimed the couch, she stayed inside over the entirety of the day and only went out for a small walk and for what she thought to be a healthy amount of sun and fresh air. She felt awfully grateful and terrible for the imposition she had caused on her step-brother.

For the last time, just before pulling his car out of the parking lot Ezra glanced at his phone and saw no new messages, no signs of Aria, which frightened him for a moment. All he could hope for was that she was okay. Three days had passed since his maudlin, failed confession for her affection but the failure did not bother him as much as her sudden absence that soon followed. He didn't blame her, he couldn't. One should never blame someone for simply not reciprocating the same sentiment. Feelings, uncensored and unorchestrated, were the best kind.

When he got to his apartment, he heard tea cups clinking and faint voices through the wall. He did not imagine Spencer to be the type to invite over friends, especially without his knowledge. But anger did not make an appearance nor was he annoyed by it. He was drained, painfully distracted by things that seemed to matter more to him than a couple of strangers mingling with his step-sister. Ultimately he convinced himself that a friend or two might do Spencer good, and perhaps it would be enough motivation for her to finally move out of his apartment.

Ezra entered his home and proceeded to the dining room where he would find Spencer drinking tea with a guest that made him stop in his tracks. Aria sat across from Spencer, her legs crossed and eyes looking straight at him.

"Hey!" Spencer said and got up from her seat.

"Hey…" said Ezra and accepted a tight embrace from his step-sister while he kept his eyes on Aria. "How long has she been here?" whispered Ezra, keeping his hand pressed on Spencer's back to make sure the hug held on for a little bit longer.

"Not very long. About fifteen minutes." Spencer replied then whispered to his ear, "That's her, isn't it?"

Aria observed them, seeing Spencer's hand slip down at his side mindlessly brushing her hand against his rib with some degree of sisterly affection. Then her eyes shot up back at Ezra who had pulled Spencer aside and proceeded to whisper something to her. Aria furrowed her brow and glanced at her cup of tea before looking up again, only to see them approaching her.

"I'm gonna head out and get something to eat. I'll be back later." Spencer said seriously. "Nice meeting you." She added but her tone was indifferent and rushed, and she had turned away before Aria could say anything in return.

Ezra glanced at Spencer and tilted his head with an apologetic look on his face. By the time Spencer was out of the apartment, Aria had left her seat and narrowed her eyes at Ezra.

"What did you say to her?" asked Aria.

"Nothing, why?"

"She...seemed extremely upset."

Sighing, Ezra rubbed his forehead for a second and said, "I asked her to give us some privacy."

"You didn't have to kick her out."

"I didn't kick her out. I asked her very kindly if you and I could have some privacy." Ezra clenched his jaw and did not see this argument going anywhere so he dropped it and asked, "Why did you come here, Aria?" He watched her as she walked to him.

"I…" She shrugged. "I guess I've missed you."

Chuckling dryly he tipped his head forward and looked at her solidly. "You mean you miss sleeping with me." He inhaled deeply as she took another step closer, so close that he could smell the scent of her hair.

"I'd be a liar to deny that." She licked her lips, her eyes staring up at him. Then her hand went up to his chest and her fingers began to loosen his tie.

"Well, I've certainly missed you too." He said calmly and brought his hand up, gripping her arm while the other hand went to her lower back, pulling her closer to him. As they kissed, he felt her smiling against his lips and found himself wishing to have seen it too.

Clenching her fists, Spencer looked around frantically at the empty streets and grew infuriated at the night and how she was all alone in it. She couldn't help but picture her step-brother with Aria. There were certain looks a face made that Spencer grew accustomed to deciphering. It was a talent of hers, much like Aria's, she knew people almost instantly. Past experiences had sharpened her senses when it comes to reading strangers and it had helped her realize that her boyfriend of three years had been unfaithful simply by seeing the look on his face on that one particular day.

When Spencer laid eyes on the dark-haired girl up there in the apartment, she was reminded of her boyfriend, and although it did not seem fair to put judgment on a complete stranger Spencer still held onto her hunch, in which the young woman was simply not good for her step-brother. But she wondered if Ezra had been fully aware of this fact, and that if he was, Spencer felt a tinge of disgust towards him. Because it would only prove that people do what they do to their advantage.

Aria held the side of his face as their mouths brushed softly upon another. They lay on their side, their bodies pressed closely together to fit in the couch, with Aria on the open side. Clasping her arm under his, Aria parted her mouth and felt his hand on her back, pulling him to her as his thrusts kept on in smooth successions. Then he moved his hand up and grabbed the back of her head and kissed her roughly before pulling away for a second to take a good look at her face. He smiled at the sight of her closed eyes and the feel of her soft breaths hitting his skin. Shifting their position, Ezra held his eyes on her face as she finally looked at him with curiosity. In one fluid maneuvering, he had turned her around, making her face the living room, and wrapped his arm around her small frame and continued.

Smiling to herself, Aria felt for his hand that rested on her chest and intertwined her fingers with his. She tipped her head back, allowing him to plant a kiss on her jaw then he brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. As his thrusts quickened its pace, Aria arched her back and grabbed the side of the couch with her free hand. They untangled their hands as they both felt it coming near; Ezra's hand went to her neck while she had helplessly grasped onto his thigh. All of a sudden, Ezra got up and grabbed her legs and towered in front her, with his hands holding her waist while her legs wrapped around his. He smiled and dipped his head low to kiss her once more before pulling himself up. Planting his palm beside her head, he gazed at her as his thrusts came on relentlessly until she was not able to take it anymore and her legs would surrender and close together with force as if to deny him of the pleasure that she was captured in. And Ezra would watch with delight as her back arched, allowing him to meet her chest with a kiss and listen to the loud and fast beating inside.

When Spencer returned to the apartment she found no sight of them. After half an hour she heard the door open and close followed by voices that could only belong to the couple.

"Where...did you guys go?" Spencer asked as they met in the living room.

Ezra gestured at the large paper bag in his hand and said, "We thought we could eat. There was nothing in the fridge so we went out and got something."

"Care to join us?" Aria asked and looked at Spencer straight in the eyes.

Spencer's eyes danced back and forth between them before finally surrendering, taking from the pain her stomach was having, she too could eat. They headed for the dining table and moved to set the table until Spencer touched Ezra's back, insisting that she had it all taken care of and that Aria and he could sit and let her do the work.

"No, I'll help." Ezra argued while Aria studied Spencer quietly.

Spencer kept her hand on Ezra's back and said, "Just sit down and relax. How hard is it to set up a table for three people?" She flashed a quick, tight smile before going off into the kitchen to grab some plates and utensils.

Ezra smiled softly and looked at Aria. "You know, you're free to stay and sleep over tonight." He said, making her chuckle.

"Yeah, I don't know how much she'd appreciate that." Aria cocked her head to the kitchen where Spencer could be heard rummaging through the drawers and cabinet.

"This is my apartment. She is a guest and guests have no say in what I do or who I bring here."

"For how long, by the way? You know, her staying over? Or is it for as long as she feels like?" said Aria with an eyebrow raised at him.

Ezra pressed his lips together and stayed quiet for a moment. He hadn't thought about it nor had he discussed it with Spencer. He realized that he was too lenient, or generally too careless of his step-sister's business. But that was not something to be ashamed of, he reminded himself. He enjoyed being a good brother to Spencer and if she needed some sort of help right now, then he was willing to offer whatever was in his capacity.

"I don't know...I'll––" Before he could finish his sentence, Spencer had already made it back to the table. Ezra glanced at Aria and they shared a quick smile. "Aria's staying the night." He told Spencer.

Spencer looked up slowly and said almost suspiciously to her, "...You are?"

"Actually, I don't know if I can anymore...I mean, I didn't really bring any clothes and I have class tomorrow." She said and shot Ezra a stern look.

"I'm sure Spencer has an extra set of pajamas she can lend you." Ezra said and tilted his head at his sister who looked at him perplexingly.

"Uh, yeah. Sure, I've got plenty." replied Spencer as she feigned a smile for them.

"Great." Aria said dryly and all the while, Ezra was grinning to himself.

As they lay in bed, thoughts in their head quietly went one by one the longer they remained in silence. And he was glad that she was right next to him for the night. Ezra was not fond of modern love, in which modern men and women meet for the night, see each other naked, know one another in the most intimate ways, and yet somehow manage to take off once the night ends. He hated the idea of strangers staying strangers. And he hated it even more if that were to happen with him and Aria. She was not unaware of how he felt towards her, and they were certainly past being strangers. But every time, he saw that she was one of the modern women who had no problem leaving what had grown attached to her.

"Do you realize the burden you will put on me if you disappear?" Ezra had asked as they waited for the night to take over.

"No…" Aria said nonchalantly and moved to her side and peered at him.

Ezra frowned and played with her hair with his index finger and said, "All I'll ever remember is a young version of you––"

"Isn't that a good thing? People have died to have their illusion of immortality."

"It'll never be enough...because I know that once you leave...I'll always know that somewhere out there, you're perpetually changing...and it kills me to know that I won't ever have the privilege to see it. Don't you see how sad that is?"

"Is that something you strongly believe in?" She had asked and saw him nodding. "Well, don't you want to hear what I believe in?"

"Of course."

"A good meal, a good talk, a good fuck-what better way to pass the day?" She recited. "Henry Miller."

"Never did like him." Ezra replied, making her laugh softly. But he became serious with blue eyes that pierced right through her and he went on saying, "It's you or death."

Aria glared at him and replied, "Don't say that." She scowled at him. "You don't even know me."

"I know enough of you."

"What do you know?"

Ezra took a deep breath and let his fingers slide through her hair. "I know your smell…" He paused at the thought and for some reason, glimpses of her naked waist ran through his head––the smooth, fragile swoop where his hand would perfectly fit its space whenever he wanted to hold her there. Swallowing hard, he continued on. "I know your sounds...the ones you make just when you're about to come and I know that you don't like to let it out too much...like you want to keep some of it a secret. That's why you always muffle it against my skin and you try really hard to keep it in but very faintly I still hear it and it kills me every single time." He looked at her, cherishing the way she was paying attention to him. "And I know that you can write ten times better than I can." He saw her give a look as if to ask how he would even possibly know about that. "I may have read some of your stuff. And it makes me wonder why you're letting me write your papers but I thought maybe you just don't feel like writing about things that you're not interested in, which I don't blame you for." He explained and she gave him another stern look. "And I know that you're not really like this...unattached and aloof. Part of me thinks it's all an act because nobody is ever really like how you portray yourself to be––not because they can't, but because who would purposely want to be like that?" He looked at her deeply. "It's simply not humane. And yet I know that I find you interesting because of it. It's like a mystery that I'm waiting to unravel. I know there's a lot you're not telling me and perhaps that's for the best." He took a breath. "But Aria, do you think that if I find out, I won't find you...attractive anymore? Because you might be wrong in your prediction."

"What if there's no secret? What if this mystery you speak of doesn't exist?" Aria finally said.

"I know that's a lie."

Aria reached for his hand and pulled it away from her hair. Then she turned around with her back pressed against him. Ezra drew a long breath and moved closer, pressing his nose on her shoulder blade and leaving a soft kiss on there with the hope that he had convinced her to stay the night.

A little while after Spencer saw that Aria was not staying after all. It was in the middle of the night that she heard the shuffling of her feet across the living room floor. Spencer awoke from her light slumber and caught the young woman crossing the room with stealth.

"Change your mind, huh?" Spencer said, causing Aria to stop in her tracks.

Aria took a deep breath and turned to face her and said, "I'm not one to impose."

"Oh, please." Spencer rolled her eyes as she sat up fully. She watched as Aria approached her. "You're not fooling anyone."

"Neither are you." said Aria as she sat on the couch beside Spencer.

"What are you talking about?" Spencer furrowed her brow and got up, her hands going on her waist as she stood determinedly. She watched the smaller woman follow her step by standing straight although she appeared to be calmer than Spencer could even manage to be right this moment.

"Are you sure you want to discuss this right now? Or would you rather just go back to sleep while you still can?" Aria licked her lips then shrugged. "I mean, I can talk to Ezra about it for you tomorrow. You know...you and your _familial_ love for..." Her mouth closed as soon as she felt Spencer's strong grip around her wrist. And for a second, it had impressed Aria more than it had surprised her.

"What the hell are you saying?" Spencer narrowed her eyes on Aria whose gaze moved down to look at the hand that was clutching her wrist. Then, upon realizing, Spencer pulled away and swallowed hard.

"Don't ever touch me again without my permission." Aria said before walking out of the apartment.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note:<strong>  
><strong>Once I'm finished with this story, I promise to get back on the other ones. I'm only planning to make this story a four parter, maybe even five. Please don't forget to review. Good night! :)<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

Ezra stood on the side, keeping a fair distance and watched Aria cautiously. His eyes ran up and down her body, meticulously picking apart her appearance. She wore black knee high stockings, and a flowery dress that had been covered by a dress length grey jacket. She had looked extraordinarily refined, as if she was trying to impress someone which was a characteristic that was quite unlike her. But he wondered how she stood against the cold weather. They were fast approaching December and although the snow had yet to make an appearance, the wind was cold enough to make their ears turn red and their cheeks to feel the sting. And so, Ezra felt a sense of concern for her well-being before his thoughts led him to realize that they only had a couple of weeks left of the semester.

As he watched her interact with a colleague of his, he became more and more intrigued by the length of their conversation. The assistant professor was about his age, perhaps a couple of years younger but certainly not too far from his own range. Ezra did know for a fact that the professor was in the History department, but that was as far as his facts could provide him. The longer Ezra stood on the same spot, the more he felt uncomfortable now that the hallways were completely empty.

The observation went on however, and Aria began to laugh and the professor was grinning and sliding his hands into his pockets like a shy young man with an inevitable crush. Scoffing at this poor fellow, Ezra licked his lips and continued to stare at them with a growing resentment. Then something brewed inside him when he saw her take a step forward only to brush her hand up and down the professor's arm and finally, they parted ways––while Ezra caught the professor take another look at Aria over his shoulder.

When the day finally reached lunch break, Ezra did not waste a second more and immediately headed back to his office where he would be surprised by Spencer.

She was leaning against the wall outside of his office, waiting patiently with her eyes closed and a paper bag held with both hands.

"Hey!" Ezra said with delight, waking her up from her lull. "What are you doing here?"

With a warm smile, Spencer went up to him and they came together for a kiss on the cheek. "Thought I'd stop by...see the campus for myself. And also, I made lunch." She waved the bag in front of her. "Tuna melt. And some dessert."

"You don't happen to have vodka in there too, do you? Could really use a drink right about now."

Spencer looked at him with a fleeting panic in her eyes, "N–no...I didn't bring any alcohol." She followed him as he unlocked the door and went in. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head at her and said, "Don't worry about it. Well….anyway, I wasn't really in the mood to go anywhere to get actual food."

"Ezra, you gotta quit those vending machines. They're pure junk." said Spencer.

"Well, good thing you dropped by then, huh?" He flashed a crooked smile and approached her, taking the bag from her hands. "Tuna melt. You know, I've missed these. I never did find out how Veronica made 'em so perfectly. Care to tell me the secret? I promise to never tell anyone."

"I can't tell you. You're not a Hastings."

"But we're family." He said softly.

Spencer pressed her lips together, contemplating telling him. "Well…" She began but he raised his hand at her.

"Spencer, you don't have to tell me." He grinned. "I like to eat 'em but I don't care enough to make them myself. I just wanted to see if you were going to bite. Shame on you for doing so." He walked around his desk and took a seat. Peering at her, he added, "Besides, some secrets you're better off keeping."

Spencer scanned his face before nodding reluctantly. "Right." She mumbled to herself. Looking around, she studied his office and found herself rather disappointed by the lack of allure the room gave off. So she sat down across from him and partook in their lunch.

"How are you holding up?" He asked casually, his eyes not staying long enough on her face.

Spencer shrugged and smiled tightly. "I'm alright."

"How's work?"

"I'm holding off on that."

"What does that mean?"

"Means I quit."

"Oh."

Leaning forward, Ezra put his food down on the paper bag and said softly, "Hey…Spence..." He saw her look up at the sound of her name. "You know I'm here for you––if you ever need to tell me anything, right?"

"Yes, I know." Spencer smiled uneasily.

"I mean, maybe I'm overthinking it but I can't bring myself to believe that you came all the way over here just to share lunch with me." He smiled, and soon they were chuckling together. "Am I wrong?"

"Truth be told? I made too much tuna filling and I didn't want it to go to waste." Spencer explained and in response he chuckled and nodded understandingly, disregarding all the previous hypothetical reasons he had made in his head. Surprisingly enough, he was a little disappointed of how easily he got off of the subject of Spencer and her troubles. He was more saddened at the fact that he was not able to give any advice on relationships, not that he was the most appropriate person to be giving them in the first place. But he did believe, some part of him anyway, that he knew a little about love.

A knock on the door came and before Ezra could reply, Aria had stepped inside and whose face lit up at the sight of the step siblings before her eyes.

"Well, how nice." Aria said, closing the door behind her.

Ezra got up, opened one of the desk drawers and took out a folder. Then he walked to Aria and handed her the folder and said, "Here. Happy?"

"What's with you?" She had asked, her brow creased at his haste.

"Aria, damn it. Not right now, okay?" He rubbed his forehead as Aria glanced behind him and saw Spencer watching intently.

Laughing dryly, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and narrowed her eyes on him and said, "I can write my own papers. So, why don't you keep these?" She threw the folder in the air, the papers flying out and falling into a scatter across the floor. She folded her arms across her chest and stared right at him.

Ezra let out a sigh as they held their gaze for a moment. Until he surrendered and glanced down at the papers, ultimately getting on his knees to pick them up one by one. All of a sudden he felt something sharp pressing the right side of his chest, causing him to lose balance. From some feet away, Spencer shot up from her chair and stood in a stance of controlled fury. But she stayed on the same spot and remained alert as Ezra sat on the floor with his elbows propping him up while Aria had lifted her foot and poked him with the heel of her shoe.

Ezra gazed up at Aria then at her heel which was pushing down on his chest until he was completely flat on his back, and eventually she was towering over him. Moving her foot slowly and closer to his collarbone, she then continued to step on him, digging the heel harder onto his chest.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Ezra whispered angrily as he grabbed her ankle while his eyes traveled up, widening at the sight that followed when his gaze reached above her thighs and discovered that she wore nothing under her dress. Swallowing hard, he looked up at her speechlessly as her piercing glare shot through him. A few seconds later, Aria lifted her foot off of him and then looked across the room to give Spencer a faint but friendly smile before finally leaving the room. "Wait, Aria...wait––" Ezra said as he quickly got up from the floor and went after her.

Spencer lowered her brow and walked to the spot where the papers remained scattered. She knelt down and collected the papers, reading them curiously.

As soon as he had caught up to her in the parking lot, Ezra walked beside her and glanced around his surroundings indiscreetly, and saw no one around. He kept up with her quick pace and the two went on walking without saying a word. By the time they reached the further end of the parking lot which was reserved for faculty, Ezra had grabbed her by the arm and hurried her to his car where he would open the passenger side and throw her in there.

Getting on the driver's side, he glanced ahead and asked her, "Who was he?" He then began to fish for the car keys in his pocket.

Aria begrudgingly turned her head to look at him, "Who was who?"

"Just a_nswer_ the question! Aria, please." He pleaded with his eyes as she looked back at him with a puzzled expression on her face. "The History professor. What is he to you?"

"What happened to not owing you any explanation?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

Ezra slammed his hand on the steering wheel and huffed out a breath and said, "You're awful." He licked his lips, trying to calm himself before chuckling dryly and continued, "So, that's how it goes, huh? Easy lay for an easy A."

"Are you done?" She kept her eyebrow raised at him, as if she was arguing with a child who was in the midst of throwing a fit.

"No, not nearly. Tell me, what does he offer you in return for your service?"

"I wouldn't know. He's been quite busy raising a kid with his wife."

Ezra studied her face before letting out a scoff, "For a married man, he looked pretty damn comfortable with a girl who isn't his wife."

"Well, that's his problem, not mine." They exchanged looks for a moment, gauging each other's agitation. Aria rolled eyes and said, "You know what, I don't need this, especially not from someone like you." She reached for the door latch but Ezra grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"What are you trying to say, huh?"

"You know _exactly_ what it means." She narrowed her eyes at him and sneered. "Don't play dumb, Ezra. It's such a turn-off." Aria scoffed as she reached for his hand, attempting to pry herself out of his strong grip.

"Why don't you tell me something that isn't a lie?" He kept his hand around her forearm, keeping her close to him.

Aria leaned across the seat as she began to lead his hand under her dress, making him hold his breath. She placed her other hand on his thigh for support and pressed her forehead against his and shut her eyes, as she felt his cold fingers against her own warmth.

"This...wasn't for him." She breathed out.

"Really? Who is it for then, hmm?" He asked softly, his nose gently nudging hers.

Pulling away, she tilted her head at him. "What did I just say about playing dumb?" She answered and in an instant, Ezra's lips curled into a smile. He reached up and held the side of her face with his other hand, and kissed her eagerly, having wanted to since she had stepped on him.

Spencer put the folder back on his desk and glanced at the door, waiting for Ezra to return any time soon. Taking a bite out of the sandwich, she sighed and looked around the room again, her right foot tapping out of habit. After their most recent conversation Spencer kept faith on her step-brother. He would come back, she thought––and they would pick up where they left off and have the conversation she had enjoyed having with him. But as minutes passed where five became ten and ten becoming twenty, Spencer looked down and saw what was left of her sandwich. It would only take two or three more bites until it was all gone. But her appetite had escaped her, and so she reached for the paper bag on the desk, put the leftover sandwich in and crumpled it into a ball and tossed it in the trash by the desk.

Getting up from her seat, she put her lips together––as a way to stop them from quavering while her heart felt a sinking sensation that would reach its bottom only to find betrayal from her own step-brother who had told her, with his honest lips and eyes, that he was there for her. But where was he now? Spencer clenched her fists and sniffled and stormed out of the office. She headed down the hallway of the east wing, avoiding all contacts with people. All she wanted to do was get into her car and drive home, and continue to deny the fact that Ezra had easily replaced her for another woman.

When they reached his apartment building, Aria eyed the entrance where she spotted a tenant getting ready to leave. Then she had practically jumped out of the car before Ezra could even turn the engine off. Aria rushed to the building, asking for the tenant to hold the door and so, the man looked at her curiously and held the door open. Then she went straight for the elevator, pressing the buttons. As she waited, she looked behind her and smiled once she saw Ezra scrambling for his apartment keys. Suddenly, it was a game of cat and mouse.

Ezra unlocked the main doors and entered and watched Aria stepping into the elevator. He walked to the elevator doors and was surprised when he heard the small ding indicating that the doors were about to close. He could see Aria smiling deviously at him as he made an attempt to beat the doors until it finally closed on him, forcing him to take the stairs.

Breathing heavily from running up three floors, Ezra opened the door and waited for Aria to come out of the elevator. When the moment had arrived with that elevator sound, Ezra shook his head and walked to her, grabbing her face with one hand––squeezing it rather aggressively before planting a hard kiss on her mouth. Then they tried their best to make their way back to his apartment, kissing and stumbling and laughing at their stumbling.

When they reached the hallway to his bedroom, Ezra's belt and trousers had been unbuckled and pulled by Aria, leaving him in his boxers while she remained untouched with her dress.

He placed his hand behind her head, protecting it as they fell onto the bed. Grabbing the end of her dress, Ezra pulled it over her head and took a quick moment to absorb the beauty before him. He watched as she unclasped her bra, tossing it onto the floor then she grabbed his neck, and worked on his white button down shirt and tie.

"You're beautiful, did you know that?" He panted out, a crooked smile plastered on his face.

Aria got him out of the shirt but held onto the neck tie and then looked at him and said, "I thought I was awful."

"One can't be both?" His smile grew bigger.

"One would prefer only the latter." said Aria as she pushed him back on the bed.

"Well, you can't have everything sweetheart." Ezra held her hips as she settled herself comfortably on top of him.

"Who says?" She fixed her eyes on his face as she wrapped the tie around his neck, noticing the familiar apprehensive look on his face, one which appeared similar to fear. But soon it was overwhelmed by the excitement that had sparked in his eyes as she began to ride him.

The tie went around his neck tightly and with Aria pulling on it as she continued in perfect rhythm, and all the while cutting off his breathing for a considerable interval. Once she sensed the high engulfing him, she would let go and allow him to catch his breath. Ezra panted heavily and laughed before bravely demanding for another go. After a few times, Aria leaned down and kissed him tenderly.

"Are you okay?" She whispered as he nodded and lifted her, switching their positions.

He stared longingly at her face before pressing his lips to hers, and felt her delicate hands running down his back. They had never reached such heightened passion until now; it felt as though they had crossed a threshold on this very day––it was unusual and remarkable for him, this new mixture of desire and trust in which she had seemed to share the same sentimentality for him. Although he was certain that she did not feel as strongly as he did for her, not even as surely as he, but she felt something for him nonetheless––enough to come with him and not with anyone else.

As he ran his lips along her jaw, kissing her softly here and there coaxing her like a small fire, he recalled the day, not long ago when they read random passages as an interlude to their parting ways after having spent some time together in bed.

"Do you remember…" asked Ezra, his voice low and enticing. "...when we read Shaw?"

"You're not seriously quizzing me right now, are you?" She looked at him, trying to get a read of his face.

But he shook his head and chuckled and kissed her on the mouth. Then he slipped his arm around her, gently turning her over as he planted kisses on her back. His lips made its way down to her lower back, kissing and tasting her as much as he could. Ezra pressed his palm flat against her back, pushing her down on the bed. He climbed out of bed and pulled her gently by her feet so that she would be closer to the edge, and then he began to take her stockings off, rolling them down slowly and delicately. He couldn't see her face but he had imagined her eyes shut and lips slightly curled into a ghost of a smile.

Once the stockings were on the floor, Ezra climbed the bed again on his knees and kissed her lower back again, pressing his nose against her skin and sighing satisfyingly at everything. With both hands he took her waist and gently settled himself on top of her, his face now moving closer to hers. He saw her turn her head a bit to the side and so he took the chance to give her another kiss before thrusting into her.

"Mm––" Aria let out a whimper and shifted her head, pressing her forehead flat against the mattress.

Ezra slipped his hand under her body, letting it travel down her waist and touched her–– receiving another soft, arousing moan from Aria. Smiling he continued on, granting a soft kiss from time to time on her shoulder then on the nape of her neck as Aria shut her eyes, her hand blindly grabbing at his hair.

After the fifteen minute drive, Spencer sat inside her car and looked at the rear-view mirror and fixed her makeup that had run down from her brief crying––a moment of weakness. Then as she deemed her face to look fine and undetectable of any heartache, she got out of the car and walked to the apartment building.

She hurried back to the apartment, proceeding straight to the kitchen to get herself a drink. As she rummaged through the pantry for Ezra's liquor, she heard hushed voices and something banging against the walls repeatedly.

"What are you doing?" asked Ezra as he watched Aria grabbing his arm and putting it over his head. He glanced up and saw her tying his wrist on the bedpost, making him chuckle with amusement. Then Aria took his other arm, pinned it down on the pillow next to his head and proceeded to intertwine her hand with his. She took a good look at his face and kissed him fully, letting her tongue slip in to caress his as generously as they could manage.

Spencer made sure her footsteps were inaudible as she made her way down the narrow hallway that led to Ezra's bedroom. Peeking through the slit of the door, she saw the couple and their heated liaison. A minute had passed, which had felt longer for Spencer––but she continued to watch them until anger kindled within her, and she lowered her brow frustratedly at the sight and then trailed off to the living room. She searched for her bag under the glass center table, rummaging recklessly until she grew more and more infuriated and flipped the glass table with both hands, causing it to crack in a kaleidoscope-esque manner.

"What was that?" asked Ezra as they paused for a moment, their ears perked up.

"I'm sure it's just your lovely sister." Aria said as she kissed him once more before getting off of him. "Don't you move."

"Where you goin'?"

"I'm parched. Want anything?"

"Oh, I've never been more satisfied." Ezra flashed a smile and watched as Aria slipped on his shirt and fixed her hair, letting it curtain her shoulders.

Spencer went back to the kitchen and simply grabbed a glass of water. Leaning against the counter, she noticed her right hand shaking as she gripped the glass tightly. Once she heard someone's footsteps drawing near, she placed the glass back on the counter and walked out of the kitchen only to be greeted by Aria with a smile.

"You have the nerve to be here." Spencer managed to say, hiding her hands behind her back. "I know exactly what you're doing to him. I saw."

"That's not very polite."

"Don't you think it's sad that that's the only reason he keeps coming for more? Because you've chemically made him addicted to it. But what happens when you get bored with him? What will you do then? Dispose of him?"

"I'm just enjoying what you can't." said Aria as casual as possible.

"And what would that be?" Spencer played along, oblivious to the crazed look her eyes had taken.

"Oh, come on." Aria chuckled dryly and took a step closer to the taller girl. "Cut the act."

Spencer swallowed hard and said, "I don't know what you're saying." With her best attempt, she kept her eyes locked with Aria's.

"You're in love with him, aren't you?" Aria finally said. "But under unfortunate events of him being your brother, you aren't _supposed to_ be in love with him. Isn't that right? But of course, you can't help it...much like how he can't help himself with me. Like brother like sister, is it?"

"Stop talking…" Spencer clenched her jaw as hard as she could as she glanced at the floor.

"Don't worry, I won't te––"

"Stop. Talking!" Spencer stepped forward and grabbed the side of Aria's face, holding her steady. "Did you...did you tell him? You've told him, haven't you?" She asked and Aria could see in her eyes that she was panicking.

"That's not my place to tell." whispered Aria. The longer she stared at Spencer's face, the more amused she became. Untimely and repressed love seemed to have been the most painful kind––especially when it was one-sided and unshared by the beloved. "You really do love him. Oh, Spencer..." said Aria.

Spencer began to quietly cry as her grip on Aria's face tightened, "You're a hypocrite, you...you use him so he can do your work for you. It's repulsive."

"Well, you're not completely wrong." Aria made a face, considering Spencer's statement.

"So, why doesn't he see that?!" She asked frustratedly, more so for herself.

"Now, that's a question." Laughing innocently, Aria held Spencer's hand which remained on her cheek. "The same reason you still love him...despite your family ties." She became serious, but her eyes remained gleaming with delight. "That's the beauty of it. The secret of it all. Don't you see?" She stepped forward, cornering Spencer as her back hit the counter. "Haven't you learned anything from your own situation?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Spencer replied and took her hand away from Aria's face and stared wildly at her.

Aria inched closer to Spencer and wiped the shy tears from the girl's brown round eyes and said very softly, "That's what we do when we love someone." She shrugged. "We try to find reasons to excuse all the ugly things they do––cases to justify them for the terrible acts they commit." Aria told her. "You fall in love with someone who is a little insane but you tell yourself––no...this person I love, has a reason to be this way and I'm going to figure out what it is. But the truth that we so often refuse to see is that there is no mystery. There's no story behind their ugliness." She looked deeper into Spencer's eyes. "But you keep looking for that excuse, and eventually, when you can't find any, you end up fabricating all these reasons in your head." Aria furrowed her brow and grabbed both sides of Spencer's face. "Because _you_ can't accept the fact that you've fallen for a monster…and it's frightening to think perhaps along the way you realize you might be one too." Aria explained as she held her tighter, hurting her now and slowly, Spencer's face became red until she burst out crying, angry at the notion that Aria had been irrefutably correct and true in her declaration. "So, don't you _dare_ speak as if I'm the only hypocrite under this roof, Spencer."

Spencer shoved Aria by her shoulders and reached behind her, pulling out a small revolver. She pointed it at her, her hand shaking. "I'm sorry."

"Well, you should be. You don't bring a gun to a verbal fight." She smiled crookedly, unfazed by Spencer's surprise. "I didn't peg you for a gun type."

"It was my father's." Spencer said as a way to calm herself.

"I suppose he loaded it too. Six rounds, if I'm not mistaken. But who knows, guns aren't my strongest subject."

Spencer swallowed hard, unsure of it herself. She unlatched the cylinder as quickly as possible, revealing four bullets left inside then she latched it back again.

"Four. I see." Aria said.

"I don't intend to use all of them."

"Put it down, Spencer. You're being childish." Aria said solidly as she glared at her.

"I'm not like you, you know." Spencer said Aria slowly stepped forward. "I'm not…I––I love him."

Aria sighed and carefully reached out with her hand, putting the gun down slowly and pointing it at the floor. Then she stepped in and embraced Spencer. "Of course not, Spencer. You'll never be like me. Besides, you wouldn't do this to Ezra, would you?" She rested her head on Spencer's shoulder, brushing her hand gently up and down her back.

Spencer licked her lips and breathed deeply and began to cry. "Yes…" She shut her eyes. "I've decided I would. For him." She then held Aria tighter, locking her in for an inescapable embrace before pressing the mouth of the gun to Aria's stomach.

As his arm remained raised, Ezra glanced around the room and jumped at the sound of a loud bang. "Aria?" He said in a panic and then he reached over his head, trying to untie his wrist and suddenly, he heard a second identical bang. Finally the tie slipped off and Ezra climbed out of bed, snatched his boxers from the floor and rushed out to see where the source of the sound came from.

Spencer placed the gun on the counter and covered her mouth, her shaking hand becoming worse. She slid down on the cold floor and stifled her cry as she watched Aria lying on the floor while the blood continued to seep through her white shirt.

Staring at the ceiling, Aria felt her breathing caught in her throat while her hand which had been covered in blood fell to her side, smearing some on the linoleum floor. Not a single, reflective thought came to her mind; all there was left was how the ceiling looked and the tiny cracks on it, and the blinding fluorescent light. Then she saw Ezra's face come to focus above her, covering the view of the ceiling. And she thought of his name. The four letters swimming in her head. But that was it––suddenly she could not remember a vivid moment with him. It was just his name against a black space. Then she could hear his voice, muffled and buzzing in her ears.

"No, no. No! Wha––Spencer, what did you do?! What did you do?!" He yelled as he knelt down beside Aria and pressed his hand over her stomach where blood refused to stop pouring out of the two bullet holes. He called Aria's name but her gaze seemed to go through him and straight to the ceiling. "Hey! Hey––" Without getting a response, he turned his head to look at Spencer and saw her crying and so he averted his eyes and went back to Aria. He listened to her staggering breath, her mouth parted slightly then he shook his head frantically once he saw her blood begin to gracefully seep out of her nose and mouth, trickling down to either side of her face and down to her neck. He wiped the blood off with his thumb, refusing to acknowledge its indication. "Aria, Aria––" His chest heaved uncontrollably as he looked at her until her stare became completely blank, and he could feel his whole body shaking at the thought that he had just unrecoverably lost her. A moment later, he placed her gently back on the floor and turned to Spencer who looked at him with terror.

"Why…." He clenched his jaw as he grabbed both her arms and glared at her. "What the hell did you do?! Why? _Why?!_" He jerked her violently, her back hitting the counter again and again with each angry shove pushed and pulled with force by him. "Why, Spencer, _why_ would you do that?!"

"I was trying to protect you!" She cried out. "_Ezra!_" Her voice broke as his grip around her arms tightened and she began to cry not from remorse but from actual physical pain.

"Protect me?! Don't you realize what you've done?!"

"We're family….I'm–I'm your sister, I'm––"

"No! No! You and I are not family. What you are is a damn leech." He squeezed her arms harder. "_You_ are a pathetic parasite! Don't you see that?! You come into my life unannounced! You––you sleep on my couch, you eat my food. You _disrupt_ my life! And how dare you, how dare you...take away the only thing that mattered to me. And for what?! What the hell have you ever done for me, you stupid child?!"

"Ezra…" She widened her eyes at him, his words cutting through her.

"You're not my sister…." He moved his hand and grabbed her face as he looked at her square in the eyes. "You are nothing to me." He whispered furiously as she began to sob heavily. He let go of her and crawled back to Aria, taking her in his arms. He ran his hand over her stomach, catching the blood into his palm, and finally he broke down crying.

Spencer slowly rose to her feet and reached for the revolver on the counter. Stepping forward, she choked back her cries and pointed the gun to his head with both hands holding it, and gently let it touch against the back of his head. "She was right about you, about us." Spencer said, wiping her face with her free hand. "But I loved you anyway." She confessed. "Because monsters can love too, right?" She twitched a painful smile.

Ezra remembered the day he read to Aria, and it had gotten stuck in his head for a few days now, and only today did it make complete sense. It was as if George Bernard Shaw was an old friend of theirs, and knew what he and Aria would share and end with. Ezra shut his eyes and thought of the words:

_When two people are under the influence of the most violent, most insane, most delusive, and most transient of passions, they are required to swear that they will remain in that excited, abnormal, and exhausting condition continuously until death do them part._

Ezra turned around as the gun followed his movement and now it was pointed at his forehead. "No. They can't...or else they wouldn't be monsters." He answered finally, wanting to disappoint her one last time. "So, why don't you go to hell?"

As the third bullet shot through him, Spencer became hysterical and looked down at the couple before her feet. At last, she had put her own gun to her mouth, spending her last bullet for herself.

* * *

><p><strong>*Author's note<strong>: [hides for five years]

**That's the end! Please don't forget to review. Good or bad. **


End file.
